Where did everybody go?
I come from a very supportive family. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t feel encouraged. I never had a conversation with my parents where they tried to convince me to do something “just to pay the bills.” If anything, my upbringing was of the “American Dream” mentality - “GO! DO IT! WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? MAKE IT HAPPEN!”
And there are a lot of success stories who didn’t have such a strong support network and still turn out just fine.
However, there is something remarkable about the transition from childhood to adulthood - particularly just after graduation from college (which I recommend, by the way - in our time, a bachelor’s degree is the equivalent of a high school diploma - pretty soon you’ll need a doctorate to work at McDonald’s! “You want fries with that? How about my dissertation?”)
But I digress.
You’ve graduated. You’re firmly an adult and ready to tackle the great, big world. It’s exciting, it’s filled with limitless potential. You’re ready to relate to everyone on an adult level. Everything has changed.
For an artist - or any creative person, for that matter - the down side is that everything has changed in the way the rest of society relates to you. Your family is still there, supporting, loving, cheering for you, but everyone else wants you to constantly “prove yourself”
You need experience to get the good job - isn’t that what college was for? To learn how to do the job?
You need references to be considered trustworthy - but family doesn’t count. Aren’t they the ones who know you best?
You have a “probation period” before certain security/benefits/status takes effect - what is this, “buyer’s remorse?”
You actually have encounters with people trying to tear you down - judging you, hoping you’ll fail. And they may not be the kind Mom always said “were just jealous”
And when you return to the source of your training/preparation/guidance in college you find that while they were willing to help you get into debt, they aren’t very good at training/preparing/guiding you back out of it.
I’ve never heard of a business artist program in college.
I’ve never encountered a support network for creatives.
I’ve never seen/heard/received career guidance from an art professor (to anyone - not just me) that lead to a legitimate, sustainable opportunity for employment.
It’s a drop-off you didn’t know was there. Scary!
Your family still loves/believes/encourages you, but if they aren’t creatives, that’s about all they can do. The rest of the world is firmly set against your failure.
And this is a depressing reality. Even other artists from supportive backgrounds will undermine your abilities. Jealousy, contempt, ego, many base emotions abound - as if there were no potential for any success - as if there’s only a very small piece of the pie left and everything else is saturated.
From what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of room for a lot of talent in this world.
So what is a creative to do?
The first step is to recognize this transition before you’ve emerged from the cocoon - years before. Prepare yourself for it mentally, spiritually and physically. Believe in the power and beauty of your abilities.
The second step is to begin networking NOW. Don’t be afraid to collect reference letters in grade school if you have to. Long-standing relationships speak volumes.
Next, grill your professors about everything you want to learn. If they can’t teach you and you can transfer out to another school that will, DO IT. Many creatives “can’t but teach” - I’ve run into a LOT of art teachers who can’t even draw!
And while you’re in school, LEARN BUSINESS! The ability to relate to the non-creatives (who usually have the money, by the way) on their level will generate opportunities galore for you. You’ll be educating them and making them re-define their terms and stereotypes.
It’s never to late to start these processes. Do not accept your current station and think of yourself as “too old” OR “too young” to do anything. You’ll continue to learn until you die. Don’t “get busy dying!”
When you’re the exception to the rule “about artists”, then you’ll gain trust, loyalty, employ-ability, and success.
Just like Mom and Dad always thought you would.
Tags: advice, Art, direction, help, Life, support, Teaching